Our Values

Six core principles guide Measure of America’s work.

A focus on people.

Measure of America is guided by the human development and capabilities approach, which is concerned with the worth and dignity of every person, the expansion of people’s choices and opportunities, and the degree to which different groups of Americans are able to live freely chosen, flourishing lives.

Participation and inclusion.

A participatory and inclusive preparation process that brings together diverse actors as active partners ensures the relevance of Measure of America initiatives and helps build the shared understanding required for collective action.

Intellectual independence.

Measure of America is a nonpartisan initiative. Its reports are not consensus documents nor are they subject to approval from funders; they are independent publications. This independence of thought builds trust and credibility.

High-quality, fact-based analysis.

Leading with the facts and using sound quantitative and qualitative data and rigorous methods to explore inequality, build policy arguments, and track change over time builds credibility and inspires confidence.

Visual sense-making.

Helping readers understand complex ideas through human-centered design is a hallmark of Measure of America’s work; this approach helps to democratize information. Key social and economic indicators are too important to only be accessible to data experts.

Sustained follow-up through partnership.

Printed publications and websites cannot on their own make change; sustained follow-up that generates awareness, stimulates dialogue, supports movement-building, and ultimately influences policy is equally critical. Measure of America works with partners to create and implement outreach and engagement strategies to expand social change.